Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer has broken out of the pack in the
New York City mayoral race and now shares the lead with Public Advocate Mark
Green among likely Democratic primary voters, according to a Quinnipiac University
poll released today.

Among likely Democratic voters:

Ferrer gets 28 percent;

Green gets 26 percent;

City Council Speaker Peter Vallone gets 15 percent;

Comptroller Alan Hevesi gets 15 percent;

14 percent remain undecided.

Among these likely voters, 53 percent say they might change their mind before
the September 11 primary election, while 46 percent say their mind is made up.

From August 27 - September 3, Quinnipiac University surveyed 303 New York
City likely Democratic primary voters, with a margin of error of +/- 5.6 percent.

"For months, our polls have shown the Democratic primary probably would
involve a runoff between Public Advocate Mark Green and one of the other guys," said
Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"Now it looks as if Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer is `the other
guy,'" Carroll added.

By a 45 - 17 percent margin, New York City likely Democratic primary voters
have a favorable opinion of Ferrer, with 20 percent mixed and 17 percent saying they
don't know enough to form an opinion. Favorability ratings among other Democratic
candidates are:

"Like Green, Vallone and Hevesi, Ferrer has been a player on the New York
City political stage for years," Carroll said. "But Ferrer has been largely unknown
outside of The Bronx, so he is the closest thing to a fresh face in this Democratic race.

"Whatever the reason, as voters finally focus on this long-running mayoral race,
we see a sudden interest in Ferrer."

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts
public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as a public service
and for research.